Charlotte Stables
(1879-1919 Wath)
The information on this page was very kindly supplied by Elizabeth Dresner.
Charlotte was the second daughter of George Stables and his wife, Jane Mellows. She tragically took her own life on July 12th, 1919 by throwing herself into the canal, near Warehouse Lane in Wath-Upon-Dearne.
Her death certificate records the cause of death as 'deceased drowned herself whilst suffering from depression due to ill health'.
It is interesting to note that it took 3 days for her body to be found, even though it she was only a few hundred yards from home.
Elizabeth Dresner's grandmother, who was Charlotte's sister, lived until 1958 but never spoke of the tragedy.
Inquest Report Into Her Death
This is a summary of the inquest report into her death which was published in The Mexborough and Swinton Times on Saturday July 19th, 1919 (page 12).
Courtesy of John Coldwell, Local Studies Librarian at Barnsley Archives.
- Body of Miss Alice Stables of 18 High Street, Wath on Dearne, was recovered from the canal near Warehouse Lane, Wath, on Wednesday at noon.
- Miss Stables was wearing a night dress and dressing jacket.
- She had been missing from Saturday morning.
- She kept house for her brother George, their parents having died about a year ago.
- On the Friday night she had complained of pains in the head.
- Inquest was held at the Cross Keys Hotel, Wath, on Thursday.
- George said she was 40 yrs old and he reported her missing to the police when he found her missing on the Saturday morning with the kitchen door unlocked.
- John Love, miner, saw the body in the canal at 11.30 Wednesday morning and immediately reported it (to Constable Duck).
- There were no marks of violence on the body and the Coroner recorded a verdict of ‘suicide during a fit of depression’.